Chick n Beer

[Pete]

Went to the soft opening last night for Chick n Beer in the old Bubba's BBQ space in the 23rd Street Courts.

Owned and operated by Truong Le of Guernsey Park.

I've always loved the space here from back in the Bubba's days and they've done a nice job of updating it and putting in about a 10-seat bar towards the back (back left of the first photo). They have several local beers on tap and will be adding more.

The menu is trimmed down for now but the feature are the Korean style wings available in several different sauces.

I ordered 15, which allows for 3 different types. If you order 10 you get 2 sauce types, 20 you get 4.

I chose Sweet Chili (top), Gochujang (right) and 5 Spice Rub (bottom). I loved them all! At first I strongly preferred the spicy version of Gochujang but after diving in I really enjoyed the variety of all 3 flavors rather than just a huge pile of one.

I really like the feel of the place as well and the staff was fantastic.

They have their formal opening on the 29th and will initially be open at 4 every day but 11 on the weekends. I believe they plan to add weekday lunch later.

[ljbab728]

Am I missing something or do they not post the prices for their food?

[Martin]

Am I missing something or do they not post the prices for their food?

that's probably just the menu for the soft opening event...

[hookertime]

I'll be checking it out Friday night and will review it here when I do. It's about 3 blocks from my house so I'm very excited to check it out

[2Lanez]

Big opening night for them last night. Tables and bar were full, those waiting could barely fit inside. It seemed like they were full most of the night.

[hookertime]

As promised, here's my review of my first dinner at Chick n Beer.

We read here that they opened at 4 so we walked the 3 blocks to the restaurant. Not open. Someone came to the door and nicely told us that it would be 5 when they open. Oh well. We'll go grab a coffee at Cuppee and Joe's. Check here (yeah, Pete said 4) and check their facebook page (huh, that says 4:30). Oh well. We make our way back at 5 and we are one of 3 sets of couples going in when the doors opened.

Ordered some drinks. I initially ordered an Iron Monk Stout but there was a bit of confusion and I was given an Iron Monk cocktail that was essentially a Colorado Bulldog with Iron Monk instead of Coke. I told them not to worry about it as I really liked those anyway; turns out they took it off our bill by the time the check came even though I drank it and told them I liked it. Big ups there and the waitress got some extra dollars for that one.

We ordered the kimchi fries to start and they were very good. I'm not positive I'll order them again as the sour fermented flavor from the cabbage wasn't quite as awesome with the cheese. The proportions were of kimchi to cheese to fries was good though. Also, I'll point out here that I think they're still waiting to get their silverware as we used plasticware. The plastic forks actually didn't hold up that well to stabbing fries but definitely wasn't the biggest issue (my fiancee had zero issues so I'm not sure if this is any sort of deal or not).

Then out came the wings. I wanted to try 4 flavors so we ordered 24 traditional wings. The flavors were Gochujan (Hot), Salt and Pepper, Mango Thai Chili, and Sweet Five Spice. The Gochujan was amazing. Hints of soy, a little sweetness, and a kick of heat. This will be their top seller, I think. The Salt and Pepper were my favorite. They're fried wings sauteed with onion, garlic, and jalapenos finished with salt and pepper. Deceptively great (I knew they'd be good as my brother worked at a sushi bar in Missouri with almost the exact same thing on their appetizer menu). The Mango Thai chili was more on the sweeter side than I would have liked but the flavor was really good. Be sure to scoop up the extra sauce at the bottom to get a bit more the spice. The Sweet Five Spice was....enigmatic. Definitely not bad but the flavors were a lot more subtle than I had assumed they'd be. We took home two of each kind (one apiece to share) and they all reheated well, but the Salt and Pepper fared the best (not surprising given its plating/ingredients). The actual wings themselves are traditional-Korean double fried and ARE AMAZING. Super crisp and able to hold onto a lot of sauce. Also, we were offered bleu cheese and ranch and the wings were so good we never touched them.

Throughout the service we were approached by a few different people asking us about our thoughts on the food. I believe one woman was the owner. They were all super nice and pleased to hear that we thought they were the best wings in town by a long shot. We also talked with who we think was the bar manager. All of their cocktails utilize local beers and they all sound amazing. I'll be trying them out as well even though I'm more of a beer drinker.

The establishment had plenty of TVs with sports on so it's definitely catering to the sports bar crowd. Probably going to be my go-to game night restaurant.

Summary: GREAT wings. Get the Gochujan sauce, you won't be disappointed. Try the Salt and Pepper but maybe try them as boneless so they're easier to eat.

[Pete]

Thanks for the review and sorry about the mix-up on the hours.

I just posted what I had been told.

[hookertime]

Oh don't sweat it. We weren't upset with anyone since it was only their second night open.. We figured it was all just a misunderstanding as their facebook wasn't accurate either. Issues like that get ironed out pretty quickly and if someone can't handle a mix-up or two, then they shouldn't go the opening nights of a restaurant.

[Pete]

Agree about the Gochujan sauce, especially the spicy variety.

That to me was the stand out.

They are also planning to add more menu items over time and I look forward to trying all of them.

[zefferoni]

They're planning on being open for lunch on February 1st.

[Roger S]

They're planning on being open for lunch on February 1st.

Awesome.... When I saw their hours I was kind of bummed because I'm not usually in that part of town in the evening but this will definitely enter my lunch rotation.

[hookertime]

So I've now been to the restaurant three separate times. Every time has been "Exceeds Expectations" on everything. I'll keep this "review" short since I've been given a lot of crap about the length of my previous one from friends and family who know my username.

I've tried all of the sauces and my three favorite are: Gochujang (Hot), Yellow Curry, and Salt and Pepper. I can't really put one above the other two as they all bring something unique to the table. The cocktails with beer are great and I recommend trying as many as you can. They've apparently re-worked their boneless wing breading recipe and they are really good now, but I'll always order bone-in over boneless.

I'm going back another time this week so I'm going to be damn near an expert on their food.

[shadfar]

^^^ Good to know they have boneless option! i was wondering about that.

[zefferoni]

So I've now been to the restaurant three separate times. Every time has been "Exceeds Expectations" on everything. I'll keep this "review" short since I've been given a lot of crap about the length of my previous one from friends and family who know my username.

I'm scheduling your intervention now I think the reviews are great though.
Definitely agree on those three picks. The Mama's sweet and salty are also great. The fish sauce is flavorful without being too fish saucy.
This place is definitely going to be one of my regulars.

[Pete]

Stopped by tonight and had the kimchi slider (beef) and the seasoned fries and a frosty beer... Holy cow that was good.

The slider was very flavorful with juicy meat and a nice kick to the sauce. The shoestring fries where drizzled with the spicy sauce they use on their wings and they were delicious.

Such a charming little spot as well. This is definitely going into the rotation.

[Dr Beard Face]

I went on Saturday with some friends and we all loved it! The dip duo and kimchi fries were amazing spins on regular appetizers. Won ton chips are awesomely crispy and light. The wings are super flavorful. I loved the hot Gochujang sauce, but the waitress told us it would burn your lips however I wouldn't say it was as hot as I was wanting. It's a very small restaurant so it can get a little crowded but even at 8 on a Saturday night the wait was short. I'll be going back to it shortly.

[hookertime]

I loved the hot Gochujang sauce, but the waitress told us it would burn your lips however I wouldn't say it was as hot as I was wanting.

My only "complaint" about the place. None of the sauces were overly spicy and I never once thought the hotter flavors were even on the verge of too hot. The Gochujang Hot is, however, one of the most balanced wing flavors I've had. Not overly sweet, not overly salty, not overly hot. It's the Goldilocks flavor. Just right

[2Lanez]

Yeah, the hot Gochujang was delicious. Could have used a little more spice. I was a little let down by the Buffalo. Very different from traditional buffalo wing sauce. Not as vinegary, and less spicy.

Overall, hardly a complaint. Huge beer list, and the wings were great.

[Pete]

The kim chi slider was fantastic as was the seasoned fries which are drizzled with the Gochujang sauce and Sriracha.

Both had a bit of spice and were delicious.

[John Knight]

I went here Friday night around 8:30pm and there was a 30 minute wait. We went to the bar to grab a beer while we waited.

Let me just say that this place is now one of my new favorites in OKC. The beer selection was good and the IPA was fresh. The food was absolutely amazing! I am so happy that we now have a good wing place in central OKC, not to mention it's local!

[Pete]

^

I knew you would love it.

I'm really looking forward to when they get their outdoor patio going as it will bring a lot of life to 23rd.

Also, hope they add lunch in the near future.

[John Knight]

Very exciting to hear! This place is an absolute home run!

[Roger S]

Also, hope they add lunch in the near future.

I either saw someone mention it here or it was on Facebook but that is supposed to happen Feb 1st.... I can't wait!

[Timshel]

I either saw someone mention it here or it was on Facebook but that is supposed to happen Feb 1st.... I can't wait!

I was in this weekend and the bartender told me the same thing. I guess they had to hire an additional manager before they would open for lunch. Hopefully it will continue to do well.

[shadfar]

Very exciting to hear! This place is an absolute home run!

Agreed! So good!